


Man-Born

by cravingformore



Category: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Video Game), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Gen, Past Rape/Non-con, Using some non-canonity from Shadow of Mordor, Well when I say "Color"..., mentions of rape/non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-29 00:45:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10842930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cravingformore/pseuds/cravingformore
Summary: Aragorn does not have many close friends among the dúnedain Rangers from the North, but Rac Adannún has won that title. When the battle for Frodo - for Middle Earth - for life has been won, Rac retreats from his position and travels into Gondor to meet the born king, his friend.





	1. Third Age, 3019, May

**Author's Note:**

> I was at work and had a great idea.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion and an introduction.

# i

A short hooded figure rode a beast towards the White City: Minas Tirith. The figure had terrifying weapons tied to its back and it's speed was ground-breaking.

The new king happened to see its approach from afar, and recognised the rider. His some grew wide and he sent off running towards the gates to make sure the rider (perhaps not the beast, however) could gain access into the city. The friends of the king's - his wife and the fellowship and a few others - noticed his haste and followed him with their eyes.

The way down to the gates was a long one as the City was in seven parts, each one having a gate pointing towards a different direction, but he was there on time - just when the gatekeepers were about to question the visitor. King Aragorn slowed down and spoke before his friend could. "Men, let this man through. He is an intimate friend of mine."

The men bowed and allowed access to the man (who sensibly left his beast outside without someone suggesting it), who closed in to the king.

He reached his left hand to one of the terrifying weapons, a sword so big it could've worked as a greatsword, and the guards took out their own much smaller weapons. The left hand held the weapon easily for a while, the figure looking at the king, until he bowed and placed the sword at the root of the king's feet.

"My king," a deep, dark voice spoke. "It had been a long time since I saw you. Last time we met, you were called Strider."

Aragorn laughed. " _Mellon nin_. It has been too long." He grabbed one of the figure's board shoulders and helped him up. "There are some people I want you to meet."

The man sighed. "You know I don't like meeting new people, Estel," he groaned, but started walking alongside with the king. He was notably shorter than the Man, and obviously more built. His shoulders, though hidden by his green cloak, were wide enough not to leave any doubt of his strength. He had a hunchback, however, and his hood was pulled low enough so that only his mouth was seen. His lips were lopsided, the upper lip cut more to the right and the lower one more to the left.

"How is your pet?" Aragorn started the small talk to avoid the man's uneasiness.

The man laughed. "Hates me. And loves me. Loves me enough to not kill me. Hates me enough to run away when I need it the most. Loves me enough to save my life if needed."

"Or loves the kindness you show it."

"That's possible. He probably knows I treat him better than it would be treated anywhere else. He knows to keep me alive for his own well-being." He laughed again. "Sometimes I still wonder how I deal with him all the time."

Aragorn smiled fondly. "What have you last heard?"

The man turned to give him an ugly grin that showed his unattractive teeth. "That congratulations are in order. You are a wedded man, finally. You spent, what, sixty, seventy years whining after her?"

"I did not whine, I courted patiently."

"You did whine to me."

"But where are my congratulations, Rac?" Aragorn said with a sinfully blissful laugh.

The man - Rac - smiled. His teeth didn't matter; his true, lopsided smile was beautiful. "Congratulations, _mellon nin_."

Even though he pronounced the tongue perfectly, the words seemed odd coming as deep as his voice was. It seemed even unnatural.

By now the two elves who still resided in Minas Tirith, Legolas and Arwen, heard the voice speak their tongue. Legolas became enraged for a reason he could not understand, but Arwen recognised the sound, the tone, the feeling of the words and started laughing as she began running towards her husband and his friend.

When Rac saw Arwen, he grinned again the ugly grin that showed off his teeth.

"Adannún!" Arwen called, her hands open for an embrace.

"My queen," Rac said, "Isn't it not acceptable to embrace another man when you are married?"

"Adannún, you know very well that there is nothing I appreciate more than your friendship with my husband. As his wife I get to embrace you as much as I wish," she replied embracing his figure.

Once the reunion was dealt with, they continued their merry way to the Citadel. As they neared, Rac became more and more silent. Arwen and Aragorn both noticed, but understood their friend so they did not get bothered by it.

The doors to the Citadel opened and the King called for all his friends.

In came the hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry, the elf, Legolas, the dwarf, Gimli, the horse-master, Éomer, his sister, Éowyn, the former Stewart of Gondor, Faramir, and the Wizard, Gandalf. When they walked in, each from their own directions, they saw their king, their queen and a shorter (about the size of a dwarf but a bit taller), hunchbacked figure in their middle. His stature was poor and he leaned a bit to the left. His face was hidden underneath a green cloak, but everyone recognised the attire; the man was a Ranger from the North.

Their king spoke. "My friends, this is an old friend of mine: Rac Adannún." The hunchback bowed slightly and showed the friends of the king his terrifying weapons on his back - he carried a massive sword and a black crossbow with arrows for it.

"It is a pleasure to meet great heroes of legend." The man had a deep voice that made his audience think they did not want that voice sound angry.

Frodo spoke first. "The pleasure is ours, Adannún." He bowed and all the hobbits followed.

"This must be the Elf-friend," Rac said with an amazed voice, "that gave me vengeance over my enemy for me." He bowed deeper. "It is because of you I can finally rest."

Frodo looked at the Fellowship, and especially Sam, when he said, "I did not do it alone. In fact, I wouldn't have done it at all if I had been alone." He smiled.

No one still knew what to think of Rac. He seemed nice enough, but there was something about him that seemed off.

"If he is your friend, Aragorn, why didn't he fight by your side?" Gimli voiced his thoughts loudly.

Aragorn replied, "Because, Master Dwarf, Rac had his own battles to fight. He fought the Enemy from inside."

"In Mordor?" Pippin questioned. Gandalf hit him lightly with his staff.

"Yes." Rac spoke again, his deep voice taking a dark form. Everyone in the room felt uneasy when they realised his loathing for the place and its inhabitants. "I had my own battles to win."

Rac did not speak after this, and no one questioned. Frodo and Sam felt like they understood as they had also dwelled in the dark land of Mordor for a time.

Once everyone had politely met Rac, Aragorn invited him to join them for Elevenses but he declined, saying he had somewhere to be and someone to see. Then he left and the friends watched him leave on a massive beast from a window, and only when he was far out of sight they found the courage to ask about him from their King.

"I met him when I was still called Estel," said the King, "so I would count him my oldest friend. He was born about the same time I was." He sighed. "His mother had to run away when she realised she was expecting him, and ran unto the hands of the Rangers. In short hatred she named him Curse, _Rac_ , and he was raised as a Ranger of the North. That is all I can tell of him that I have the right to say."

"Ah," Gandalf finally spoke, as he'd been quiet for this whole time. "So he's the man I've heard about."

Everyone turned to look at him as if to ask him to explain, but he did not. Now Legolas spoke.

"I do not understand why, but when he spoke Sindarin I felt enraged, and in his presence I felt uneasy."

Aragorn smiled like he knew what Legolas spoke of. "There is a reason. You get used to it, however." Then he led his friends for Elevenses.

# ii

Rac's journey took only the rest of the day to Ithilien. There, he searched for a special place near the river Aduin, in Emyn Armen, a stone with markings on it. Translated the markings read: _Here lies Celithil, who chose the path of Men._

Celithil had been a half-elf, and to live with the man she loved she chose to live a mortal life with him. Unfortunately the orc-raids nearing the third millenia of the Third Age had forced her to flee along with everyone else who lived in Ithilien into the surrounding lands. During this time she gave birth to her son, Rac.

"Hello, mother," greeted Rac the grave.

Yes, here lay Rac's mother. She had lived a life filled with joy, pain, sorrow and pride. When Rac had been a child she had hated him for being his father's son, but soon she realised he had more of her traits than his father's. She started to regret naming him like she did, but Rac assured her it was fine. He told her he would much rather die than to know what his father did to his mother. He was a curse to his mother still.

Rac's father was not Celithil's husband. He had died years before. She had been raped some time before she had to flee, and when she was on the run she figured out she was expecting. She hated the child inside her and would have destroyed him if something - a mother's instinct, perhaps - hadn't stopped her.

Celithil was very proud to call Rac her son, especially since the Rangers she moved in with accepted him into their ranks.

Sometimes when he came here, he wondered her life and her strength in life and admired her for it. He pondered her love and who she loved and how she loved, and not least because she had lived him. But he was only as he was, he was who she loved because of how she had raised him. None in the Rangers had really raised him - they only taught Rac the ways of the wilderness and Middle-Earth and weapons.he was an excellent learner and he was glad for the outfit because it hid most of his features. He was very insecure about his features, as he was very much different from other men - and much uglier.

"It's time for peace now, mother. Sauron's army has been defeated. His One Ring has been destroyed in Mount Doom. My revenge for you is coming to an end." Rac liked to come talk to his mother sometimes. She was the only person who he never ceased talking to. He made the effort to find time to talk with her, for sometimes he felt like she could hear him and was there to support him. His mother's death had been his life's worst moment and he treated his sorrow with killing some orcs.

Most times when Rac spent time at Celithil's grave he sat there and spoke whatever weighed his mind, but this day he only got to the point where he told of Aragorn's marriage when he was interrupted by a scream.

# iii

Eglandes never wanted to travel to Minas Tirith from Edhollond to meet the new king. The king and his friends would favour the rest of her family, like they always do. Bruinith, her eldest sister, was the most amusing of her sisters, Gworthel, the one who was closest to her in age, liked to be out the most, Melcthel, the youngest but one, the most alluring and beautiful, and Saingwen was the most refreshing.

Eglandes was the middle child. Her parents were too busy with Gworthel when she was born, so she was named by outsiders of their home, and so she lived her life as an invisible voice. She was the most plain of her sisters, and when standing there, in a line with them, she was not the one in the middle. She was the last, placed there for sulking.

She didn't want to go meet the king for safety reasons. So close to the end of Sauron's rule there was bound to be leaderless, reckless orcs trying to survive and kill to do so. Eglandes felt like something bad was bound to happen when the five of them were traveling alone, and she had told her parents this before they left. Of course no one listened to her and they were sent off. They were riding on horses, wearing the signature gray cloaks of elves, with no hurry.

Now, a day after they left, they were soon there after the difficult track before the river Aduin would be behind them and Eglandes sighed, relaxing finally, which made her sisters tell her not to whine as they thought her sigh being of distate for the trip. She explained this was not so, and said she still felt they should have taken someone with them to protect them, which made her sister, Melcthel, groan and tell her not to whine about that anymore.

Eglandes did stay quiet after that. It did seem they had gone past the stage of possible ambush and now the treck would be easier and safer.

The fear came back when they heard a rumble of feet. Bruinith, the assigned leader, told them to stay quiet, and they stopped. Not long after a herd of orcs ran past them and all four of Eglandes' sisters started to scream. (The orcs were running away with fear and wouldn't have noticed them if they hadn't screamed.) It was times like these that Eglandes wished for more sensible sisters. She felt that as elves, they should be graceful and quiet, but she figured the Man-blood of their mother had given her sisters the loudness and fear that Men had. She supposed, if they lived, she could forgive them, but if they died, she hoped her sisters' spirits would be punished by the Valar for being so senseless.

"If it isn't a little herd of Elf-Swine! What d'you say boys, should we feast on their flesh tonight?" said the tallest of them, probably a leaders of sorts, swaying from side to side and taking out a massive weapon. There were many yells for his suggestion and they started running towards them.

It seemed her sisters were in shock. They couldn't move or speak, even if their horses were panicking. Eglandes took her reigns and ordered her sisters' horses to run for it and then settled in front of their path as if to protect them.

The horses took off and Eglandes readied herself to face a tenfold orcs alone with only a weak bow and its arrows as her weapons, but she only had the chance to use one when a massive beast appeared from the forest and made a couple of orcs stumble to the ground. Its rider jumped from it, his massive weapon drawn. The orcs' attention was on the new arrival, who was about the same size as they were but loch more agile and terrifying (once you see a person riding a caragor how can he not be terrifying?).

"Orc-shrakh!" The person bellowed, his voice deep and terrifying, reminding Eglandes of the very species. He even sounded terrifying.

"And who's the hero? A Ranger? I'll be drinking your blood today, Man-filth!" an orc yelled with a similar voice.

The person started attacking the shocked orcs with his massive sword with one hand and a dagger with the other. One by one the orcs fell, until one grabbed the person by his hood, pulling it back. At this point Eglandes woke up from her apparent daze and shot the orc from behind, allowing the man to pull his hood up. After that they both took down a fair amount of orcs.

Finally all the orcs were dead and Eglandes' sisters were calling her again. She rode out to them to assure them she was fine.

"Eglandes, what were you thinking? You know you're not talented enough to take ten orcs all by yourself," scolded Bruinith. "You worried us."

"She did more than anyof the rest of you," interrupted the stranger the conversation while wiping his sword to an orc's chest. "How many of you knew to run away or to fight when a herd of ten orcs started running at you?" His voice had lost the orc-sound and seemed only deep and dark.

Now Eglandes' sisters noticed the man. Melcthel was gazing longingly at his figure. When he stood up and they saw his hunchback she lost some interest but was still very much interested - how many men could take down ten orcs in mere seconds? He whistled to his caragor and the girls (except Eglandes) cowered in fear when it slowly appeared. "Come on, Ûl. Let's get back. We'll probably make it for dinner."

He climbed on the beast and would have left straight away if Saingwen hadn't called him just then. "Excuse me, mister? Would you please accompany our party on our journey to Minas Tirith for safety? You seem very capable of protecting four pretty girls!"

His back was to the girls when he didn't answer, but then he turned around on the caragor. "You already have a capable protector." His crooked smirk was directed at Eglandes.

Then he left.


	2. To Be Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reveal and a dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this while listening to Emiliana Torrini's To Be Free.

# i

The caragor tore orc-flesh in its petrifying teeth. Rac sat beside it watching the black blood get everywhere on the beast's face in thought. "If you don't protect the ladies I will set you free," he then threatened and got up. "You know very well that against an orc or two you'll manage alone, but everyone in this land will want to kill you. You'd be dead in a week."

The caragor kept eating the flesh but its eyes were watching his rider warily. When it turned away Rac knew he had agreed and will protect the women, if needed... After his meal.

Rac left it alone and walked up to the gates of the White City. They were still guarded, but now by new men. Rac knew they wouldn't let him in easily, as this was still a war-torn land. It would take some convincing before he could get inside, unless he showed some proof he was a friend, so when he was close enough he threw a head of an orc at their feet. They stepped back in surprise. "May I enter the City?" he asked politely.

"I'm sorry, Orc-Slayer. We must ask a few questions before we let you in," one of them replied apologetically. Rac nodded in understanding.

The questions were very routine-like. Where he came from, what business he had in Minas Tirith. "I came from Ithilien. I came to spend some time with an old friend," he replied. The follow-up question was who, to which he replied, "A fellow one of the dúnedain."

It was well-known that the only other Ranger in the City was the King, so with no more stalling he was let in. When walking in he kicked the head away so that it wouldn't bother the guards, but the gesture brought the guard's attention to his boots, which were not leather as they had expected, but a metal that looked black and sturdy.

He made his way up the city by walking, for he had no hurry. He had made it in time for even lunch. Last time he had only been stopping by before his trip to his mother, but he had always meant to come back. His friendship with Aragorn - Estel for him - was his most important relationship now, so spending time with his friend was the only thing he could think of now that Mordor was emptying of dark beings and filling with light. He truly did not have anything else to do now that light had won. He was born to battle, so when there was nothing to fight for he felt lost. Estel always helped him find his way.

Again at the gates for The Citadel and beyond again asked what business Rac had there, but he managed to convince the men that he knew the King, gaining access to even the Tower of Ecthelion, where the Throne Room was situated. Just as he had hoped, the King was there, resting on his throne. His wife was next to him, and Faramir was sitting at the smaller seat of the Steward. They were managing some businesses and holding audiences to visitors. There was the king, his friend, listening to a noble in front of him talk of his own importance, and he noticed Rac.

"My friend!" Estel's voice called. "Step forward, Uruk-slayer!"

Rac walked closer. "Your eyes are still sharp, old man." His cloak had a very small amount of blood on it.

Estel smiled kindly. "You are older than I." He stepped down from his throne as Rac kneeled. He helped the shorter man up. "I would like to make arrangements for a dinner tomorrow with the nobles and my friends," he announced. "Please, can you arrange everything?" he asked Faramir, his Steward for now. Faramir bowed. Everyone started to hurry out. Finally Estel, Arwen and Rac were alone.

"Rac, _mellon_ , shred off your cloak. We are alone. I can treat your wounds," said Estel.

"The blood is not mine."

"You always say that, but then you always have new scars. You battled earlier. Were you injured?" Arwen inquired, placing a hand on Rac's arm.

"No."

"Let me see if that's true, friend." Estel wouldn't give up, so Rac sighed and took the Ranger's cloak and clothes off, leaving him in some pants and armour.

Estel and Arwen were used to this oddness by now, but Pippin, who was hiding and eavesdropping, took a quick intake of breath.

Rac called him over. "Come see the beast, little halfling. I can smell you."

As Estel and Arwen started treating his very real injuries and wounds, some older and some newer, Pippin stepped uneasily closer. He kept his eyes on Rac, who looked down uncomfortably.

He had an unhealthy-looking skin, a bit grey, and no nose at all. Instead he had slits like a snake. His lips were crooked in odd directions, his teeth uneven and sharp. He had strong facial features, with slanted, blue eyes, and no hair. His cheekbones were high and his skin thick. In his ear were several rings, and where his eyebrows should be as well. He wore some black metal pieces as some armour on his chest and back, as if to prevent the most fatal hits.

"Are you an orc?" Pippin voiced his thoughts timidly.

"Only by appearance," Estel replied for Rac, who would've replied "I might as well be". "His mother was forced into relations with an uruk during the orc raids."

" _An_ uruk would be lying," said Rac bitterly.

"He is only uruk by appearance. Rac has the mind of a man, which is why my father named him Adannún," Arwen continued. At the same time they still treated to his wounds. "There. You can hide again." Rac did just so.

"Pippin!" Gandalf's voice called.

Pippin looked behind himself to check if they were close, then said, "I don't think I am the best to keep a secret, but I will try." Then he hurried away.

"Come, Adannún. I'll show you to your chambers." Arwen pulled him with her. "My husband will have to meet more people today."

If Rac was Estel, he would've groaned, but the king knew his duties and knew not to hate them. Rac allowed himself be lead away by his friend.

# ii

Eglandes had thought for a while that they had been followed, but now they were safely inside the City walls. Bruinith of course took all credit for keeping them safe after they met with the strange man, as if her presence had kept them safe. No one knew of the five arrows that Eglandes had fired at wolves, single orcs and other threats that had died. Telling of it wouldn't have brought satisfaction to her, for she wanted to be glorified by someone else than herself. She wanted to be noticed by her sisters.

The king had an audience immediately with them. They had even seen a couple of halflings that had been around at the time. They had been bewitched by Melcthel and Saingwen. Again, no one noticed the quiet, plain middle sister. The queen had only held _her_ in her in her gaze, however, but she hadn't noticed. Eglandes had only seen a hooded figure appear and disappear in a window, then spent the rest of the audience thinking if it was _him_ and if it was, what he was doing there. Finally the king ended the audience and a servant showed their way to the chambers they were to stay in.

"I think I want to see the Houses of Healing," she said to Bruinith. Bruinith agreed with the plan and let her go off by herself. No one was really interested in the Houses of Healing. Her sisters wanted to wander around and meet people of the nobility. They would not leave the seventh layer of Minas Tirith.

Eglandes rejoiced. When she was alone, people noticed her - she wasn't stupid nor ugly, just the plainest and least humourous of her sisters. Bruinith was at home everywhere, Gworthel enjoyed all sorts of activities (but not sword fighting nor shooting, for she was a pacifist) and talks of them, everyone loved Melcthel and Saingwen could speak of anything, for she had an opinion of everything. Eglandes wasn't fond of people in general. She hated being lied to, and Men especially lie. Her interests were only in the martial arts, but she couldn't train in them often because in her community women did not fight. So she was not very good at anything but shooting, which was somewhat acceptable as women were allowed to hunt. She had a very poor bow and rusty arrows.

Which was why she checked her money bag was still with her so she could buy new ones.

She knew no one would care on what she spent her money or notice what she carried with her, so now, in their capital city she saw a chance. No one knew her, not one of her sisters were there stalling her. This was a rare treat, indeed. It did not take long for her to find the weaponsmith. "I need a new bow," she said to the man working there. When she placed her gold in view of the smith, he immediately started getting some possible bows ready for her. She checked a few, tested a couple and finally settled on a much stiffer than what she now had, but therefore also much more effective.

"Will the miss also need arrows?" the man inquired, and got an affirmative from his client. She chose two dozen sleek, black arrows, and then payed for her purchases and left.

She decided to go to the Houses of Healing and their gardens now, just in case. With her new quiver and bow on her back she made her way to the sixth level, but by the gate a hooded figure was speaking to the guards.

"-ry, but the king doesn't take audiences anymore."

The figure sighed, and a familiar voice said, "To how many different guards must I prove that I am a friend of the king's?"

"We know you to be an Orc-Slayer, but we have not had any proof of your friendship with the king."

The man was about to leave, but this time Eglandes spoke. "I don't know if he's a friend of the king's, but he's definitely a friend of mine."

All three men - the two guards and the hooded figure - turned to her. "And you are?" one of the guards checked.

"Eglandes, daughter of the chief of Edhollond. I am a guest here." She stood up straight and tall. She almost looked wild with her dark, curly hair everywhere, a bow on her back and angry look in her grey eyes. The guards quickly bowed and let the both of them inside.

The man stopped her gently. "Thank you, my lady," he said and Eglandes noticed his odd lips under his hood. "I really should mention to Estel that his guards should relax a bit."

"Of course," she replied to his thanks, then checked, "Who's Estel?"

The man looked away and continued walking. Eglandes followed suite. "The king. I call him Estel."

The lady was surprised. "What does the king call you?" she asked.

"His friend, I hope. By name, he calls me Rac Adannún."

Eglandes, an elf, understood the name in theory. "That is an odd name."

"Many say so, until they hear my story." He held a pause for a while, then corrected, "Well, my mother's, at least."

It was silent for a while, until Eglandes asked which name he preferred.

He didn't reply immediately. He gave it a good thought, then replied. "Adannún."

"I'm Eglandes." She knew Adannún would know that but, said it anyway. It was the polite thing to say.

"I don't like it," said he to her surprise. "No one should be called _Forsaken_."

Eglandes was offended. "You're called Rac!"

"I'm aware."

"Are you aware what it stands for?" Eglandes' mouth was too quick from her mind.

"Yes," snapped he. "I've accepted it. I am a curse."

"And I've accepted mine. I am forsaken."

They were in an angry silence for a while, which Adannún broke. "You shouldn't be."

Eglandes didn't say anything, but felt warmth inside her.

"I'm sorry," said the both of them after a while.

"I shouldn't have commented on your name. Forgive me," Rac said first.

"And I'm sorry I commented on yours. My tongue is faster than my mind," Eglandes said apologetically.

And each was forgiven.

# iii

With her sisters dressed in cloaks and dresses so beautiful no one could look away and Eglandes with a simple, silver dress and a matching cloak the maidens from Edhollond made their way to the dinner. When they reached inside they noticed the Hall of Great Feasts to be filled with nobles and other noteworthy people. Saingwen and Meltchel were in their element, people started flocking around them and asking them to sit near them, Gworthel went off to search some Rohans she could talk riding with and Bruinith tried to keep them together in vain.

Bruinith then sighed and with a short apology to Eglandes left her as well.

Eglandes found a small corner at a table that no one seemed very interested in and settled there. She enjoyed the dinner, it was very satisfactory, and then rose to leave for the Citadel. She wanted to see the White Tree in the moonlight.

She was settled by the tree and was admiring the white colour of the trunk when a melody was heard behind her.

"Your name was Eglandes, was it not?"

Eglandes turned around and saw the Queen.

She rose and bowed hastily. "Yes, my lady."

The Queen stepped closer. "I noticed you with your sisters."

"Yes, I came here with my sisters. Well, I was practically forced." She laughed without humour. "I thought we should wait still, with the orcs still about. My sisters and my parents thought coming right after the fall of Sauron would be a terribly brilliant idea."

The Queen laughed, her voice like water. "I'm sorry, then, that your journey here was so early. You might have enjoyed it more if you came later."

Quickly Eglandes tried to explain that she enjoyed herself very much in Minas Tirith, but the Queen wasn't having any of it and kept teasing her. Eglandes was struggling to keep things professional with the Queen.

It was odd, being here with the Queen. She was usually portrayed as a small wife for her husband, desperately in love with him and thinking of nothing else than him. But now Eglandes saw a new side of her. Sure, the Queen was desperately in love, but now Eglandes had her undivided attention. So the Queen was also kind. She had noticed her loneliness and made an effort to be a friend.

"How do you like your sisters?" the Queen asked quite suddenly a while later, looking at the Tree.

Eglandes was taken aback. "I love them, my lady. They all have lovely qualities."

"But you wished they saw lovely qualities in yourself as well, do you not?" the Queen sat beside the place Eglandes had been sitting on.

Eglandes sat back down. "At times. But they do not treat me wrong. They think I cannot quite do some things, like protect myself or them, but they are only worried of me."

Arwen smiled at Eglandes now. "Would it be alright for you to be separated from them for some time?"

"But who would protect them if I did not? They are very ignorant in some things and wouldn't notice danger until they were neck-deep in it," Eglandes laughed.

Arwen smiled. "I think my father would like another daughter now that I am no longer in his presence. I wanted to ask if you would like to move to his domain for some time to be taught in the arts of war?"

The woman in silver gasped in surprise. "Oh! my lady!" Eglandes breathed. "I would love to, but truly, who would take care of my sisters?"

"Don't worry about your sisters. For as long as you stay with my father - only a few years, for I fear he'll be sailing in at least ten - your sisters can call Minas Tirith their home. I would make sure they were not bored nor of no help. I might place them in the Houses of Healing," Arwen said with a warm smile.

"But my lady," Eglandes tried to say, "Why would you ask me? I'm not very social and the plainest of my sisters. Why not ask Meltchel, or Saingwen? Or Gworthel?" Bruinith wouldn't leave, Eglandes knew that.

"You're very much like me, that's why." The Queen looked away. "I only enjoy the company of my close associates. Also," she looked back at Eglandes, "I would love to have you as my sister."

Again, Eglandes wanted to ask why, but was too shocked to speak so she only nodded.

"It's settled then. Your sisters will stay here with me, and you will leave for my father. I'll ask a friend to accompany you so you'll have some company."

"Oh no, I'd rather go alone. I don't like meeting new people." Eglandes knew she couldn't take the constant presence of someone she didn't know.

"It's all right. I happen to know you've already met. I'll begin the arrangements, you only have to make sure you have everything you need. I'll send a messenger to my father this night." Arwen rose and started looking for Eglandes' sisters.

Eglandes was very much in shock and could not believe the conversation had just happened.


End file.
